Is gas shortage sweeping the United States real? September 12, 2008

An hour ago I heard from a friend who lives in the southern part of the United States and they said that gasoline price has gone up a full $1 in just a few hours (today). I hear they have extreme shortages in many states and where you can find gas in those hardest hit states, the price is already up to $4.85 (US) per gallon. That is up from $3.85 (US) yesterday.

According to this news story, in Tennessee a couple of gasoline station chains have been struggling to keep the pumps open and their storage tanks have begun to run dry. That has caused them to purchase gas from surrounding states to alleviate their shortage.

Here in Lexington, Kentucky, where I live, it’s just beginning to hit and lines of cars are forming at gas stations all across the state. At the same time, this news story talks about how the gas prices have increased over night. That run on gasoline will in fact cause shortages as people panic and try to fill up every vehicle they own — I wouldn’t be surprised if boat owners hook up their boat trailers and try to fill them up, too!

What a crazy world we live in!

Update: North Carolina reports that the record price jump has caused the governor to activate the “anti-gouging” laws to prevent or minimize price gouging. See that story here. A similar statement was made earlier today by the governor of Kentucky, giving this warning to gas stations that if they are price gouging they will be prosecuted. And this chain of gas stations in Florida has asked customers to voluntarily ration gas purchases by limiting fill-ups to 10 gallons or less.

One more update: If you do live in the Lexington area you might want to check out this website that keeps track of the Lexington gas stations with the lowest prices and the highest prices in the past 60 hours. The website that shows the price of gas in Louisville can be found here.

In response to the dramatic spike in gas prices overnight, Gov. Steve Beshear today signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency to prevent price gouging in the commonwealth. Under this order, the governor can apply Chapter 367 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes to implement provisions of the law aimed at protecting the citizens of Kentucky from predatory pricing by unscrupulous providers, including but not limited to gasoline and building supplies.

“I am outraged by the voracious practices of price gouging we are seeing,” said Gov, Beshear. “Today, I have taken an extraordinary step to protect the consumers of the commonwealth from these predators.”

Hi…I can only speak for Atlanta and surrounding areas but there is seriously NO GAS here. It has certainly been a glimpse into the future here in the south. On the way to get food today there was no shortage of cars on the side of the road, people walking with gas containers, and several gas stations that are usually ALWAYS busy now yellow taping around the pumps. It really is eye opening and people should realize that although we are being reassured that gas supplies will soon be back to normal and that this is only a result of Ike that we need to WAKE UP and not rely on our government to eventually get around to creating alternative energy sources. The future is very dim for us if we do not change our everyday lives. It is time for the PEOPLE of the U.S. to stand up and show that we are not weak and ignorant to the ways of our country. We are getting fucked by the people on the hill because we have no idea what is really going on.

In AL: some stations out of some grades, some stations pretending to be out of all grades, some stations price gouging. No probs with Diesel that ive seen

As a truck driver i get around a lot and have talked to some tanker drivers that said that some fuel depots where they get loaded are out of gasoline, low on diesel- particularly at a south Ga. depot (Bainbridge).
Frankly i cannot believe that in these times of lower demand that depots run out that quick.
I think supliers are/have taking a gamble that prices will rise and try to hold on to stock due to greed. Very Unpatriotic!

Had to drive around 15 miles yesterday just to find a Shell station that had gas. They only had Regular and Diesel… nothing else. And the line was riduculous w/ a 15 minute wait. It’s pandamonium here in Atlanta and the surrounding areas. $4.39 for regular? The end of the world is near I suppose.

Pat — No, Georgia is not the only state affected by the current gas shortage. Other states that are affected include Tennessee and the Carolinas. In fact, you might want to read this blog post about the shortage in Charlotte, NC.

Jan, if your husband is traveling from Cincinnati down to Atlanta, you will want to look at the gas station pricing map that can be found here. You will want to “zoom in” to the map to see details along the I-75 route.

I live in Kentucky, so I can say that I have first hand knowledge of the availability of gas here — it’s not a problem. There were a few gas stations that ran out of gas last week, but I haven’t seen any gas station without gas this week — every gas station in Kentucky that I’ve seen has plenty of gas (or at least didn’t run out).

Now, in Tennessee it’s different. There are shortages in Tennessee, especially around the larger cities, like Knoxville and Chattanooga.

I live in North GA, basically along I-75 (north of Atlanta), in the town of Calhoun. My wife and I discovered today that there is gasoline at about 2 stations in Calhoun, and many of the small towns around here (like Ringgold, and Dalton, etc.) could be nearly completely dry at this point. Also, many in Atlanta have maintained that they cannot find any at all. I waited in a line for gasoline for between 30 to 45 minutes (if not longer) just to fill up, earlier this evening.

I live in Summerville Ga, hwy 27. I just got home from Walmart…all along 27, the stations including good ol’ Kangaroo are OUT OF GAS!!!
I got the last tank full at the Trion Walmart which was only selling premium. The County school buses were filling up at Wal-Mart when I arrived. This isn’t good.

I moved here from Corpus Christi, Tex 2 years ago and I think i know a bit about the distribution and refining capacities…and my husband was a tankerman in the merchant marines..folks there is no shortage..this is completely ARTIFICIAL to drive up prices, and cause panic. weird that they should choose the south and claim Hurricane Ike is the cause, since there was no damage to the refineries and they are operating just fine, thank you. refineries are designed to take a category 5 or better hurricane or catastrophic storms. this is pure bullstuff!!

Incidentally, along with the gasoline “shortage”, please note the evident “food shortage” coming our way. there was NO fresh produce at the usually well-stocked Wal-mart either, plus other shelves were not stocked well. Sunday is normally a big shopping day at this particular store.

oh…back to the so-called “offline” refineries: we are supposed to all chant “drill, baby, drill” right about now. Right. completely insane.

Denise — If you are driving down through the Carolinas or Tennessee, you should try to have plenty of gas before you reach Charlotte or Knoxville. Also, if you plan to drive through Georgia, totally avoid Atlanta. Well, you can drive through there but don’t plan to fill up your gas tank in or around Atlanta.

You should read this article (published yesterday) about the worst areas hit by the gas shortage to help plan your route. Georgia has serious trouble. The article says, “the state of Georgia has subpoenaed sales records from 130 gas stations after complaints of price gouging. One station charged nearly $9 a gallon for regular.” Can you believe that? Nine dollars per gallon?!?

I believe the key is to get gas between these larger cities where there are shortages. I think that if you fill up at the gas stations in the country (no where near these large cities) you will probably be fine. The greatest shortages that I know of are in the Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA areas.

Laura – Driving down I-75 through Tennessee and Georgia should not be a problem, but you will want to make sure you have plenty of gas before you reach the Atlanta area. Around Atlanta they are still experiencing gasoline shortages. I understand that the shortage in Knoxville and Chattanooga is getting better (as in more gas stations with gas for sale).

The key is to fill up between cities where they tend to have more supply and less demand.

Bob – there remains gas shortages in areas like Atlanta (GA), Columbia (SC), and Charlotte (NC). But, from what I have heard and from what I can determine from news reports most of the areas between larger cities are doing better at keeping fuel at the pump.

As long as you are filling up when you are in the country (stopping at those gas stations at the Interstate exits) then you should be fine all through Georgia and both South and North Carolina. The worst area may be near Charlotte — so be sure to have plenty of gas before hitting North Carolina.

i am living in a third world country so you can imagine how i am affected by the rise in gas prices. Guyana is a poor country compared to the united states of America and we are paying US.$5 per gallon for gas and the minimum wage is US.$150 per month the quere thing is that whenever gas prices rise the authorities will try to subsidise it but yet we see a significant rise in the gas prices, and over time i have noticed that whenever gas prices are lowered internationally the gas stations here that are privately own rarely lower their prices.

I am planning to drive from central OH thru to Hilton Head Island, SC on Monday (10/6) of next week. Will be going down I-64 thru WV to VA then taking I-77 to Charlotte, NC then 95 S to Hilton Head. Does anyone out there know about the gas availibility in those areas?

Karen — You should have very few problems getting gasoline driving from Kansas City (MO) to Panama City (FL). The area that you need to be aware of is in and around Nashville, TN. They are still dealing with shortages in gas.

You shouldn’t have any trouble filling up in Kentucky and everything I can find indicates that Alabama also has sufficient supplies. My advice is to fill up between major cities, but you should be fine.

Dan — Unfortunately for you, there are still severe gas shortages in central Georgia and around the Atlanta area. I also have seen several reports that Chattanooga (TN) is also still experiencing some shortages.

Assuming you know people in Chattanooga, I would call ahead to get current information about buying gas in that area. Otherwise, get as much as as you can along the way and be sure to fill up well before Atlanta (assuming you are driving up I-75).

Shauna — For your drive from Ohio down to Hilton Head Island you will be driving through several areas of severe gas shortage. Specifically, you will need to fill up before you get anywhere near Charlotte (NC) as that city and surrounding areas continue to run out of gas within hours of tanker truck delivering gasoline. I also know that Columbia (SC) has shortages so you will want to have plenty of gas as you near that city *just in case* there are still shortages in gas in that area.

As long as you are filling up along the Interstate between cities, you should be able to get all of the gas you need.

Betty — Assuming that you will be driving down I-95 almost the whole way, you should avoid the worst areas and so it appears hit by the gas shortage. The worst areas are Charlotte (NC), Columbia (SC), and Atlanta (GA). You should be far enough away from those cities not to be affected by the shortages in those areas.

Also, I understand that the coastal towns have been able to get gas shipped to them and are not relying on the gas pipelines from Texas like the state of Georgia and Tennessee do. So, you really should not run into any problems.

I’ll be driving from Tampa Bay to CT around the 10th of Oct. I was
planning on taking the scenic route (I-26 and I-81), but because of the fuel situation I believe I’ll just use I-95 all the way. Do you think I’ll be OK gas-wise?

Don — the gas pipelines that feed Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas is coming on line and expected to be at full capacity by the end of this week. When that happens, I believe the shortages will soon disappear. At the very least, there will be more gas stations selling gas in the hardest hit areas.

Since it will be almost two weeks before your trip from Connecticut down to Tampa Bay, I think you could stick with your plan to take the scenic route. I really do not expect you to have problems finding gas stations open with gas to sell.

The two “hot spots” along the scenic route that may be a problem today are Asheville (NC) and Columbia (SC). But, I expect those to be much better in a week. Check back and ask me again in a week if you want an update on those areas.

Matsu – Thanks for your quick response. Actually, I am driving from FL to CT, and returning to Florida about a week later. Taking I-81to
Scranton, and I-84 into CT is further than going straight up I-95,
but avoiding Wash DC and the NJ Tpk, and the tolls involved, is well worth the extra 80 miles or so. I’ll let you know if I ran into any gas problems when I get back.

Donna — You should have no trouble finding gas stations with gas for sale along the route from Illinois to Clayton, NC. But, you want to be careful to have plenty of gas in your tank when you enter certain areas. If you end up taking the route through Tennessee (on I-40) then you want to be aware that both the Knoxville (TN) area and Asheville (NC) area have experienced shortages.

I know that Charlotte (NC) still has severe gas shortages and many of their gas stations are sold out but I don’t know if that has spilled over (pardon the pun) to Raleigh, NC. So, you may want to be certain to have a nearly full tank before you reach Raleigh and on to Clayton.

We want to leave from Michigan on October 3rd for Savannah. We plan to stop in Jonesborough Tennessee, then Asheville, N. C., then on to Charleston SC and last on to Savannah. What problems will we experience getting gasoline? Should we plan on heading in a difference direction?

Phil — The only areas that may be difficult to find gas are along parts of I-75 in Tennessee and Georgia. Even now there are gas shortages in parts of Tennessee (Knoxville and Chattanooga) and in the Atlanta area. Provided that you fill up your tank before you reach those areas, you should have no problem.

Peggy and Jeff — At this time it appears that the greatest area of concern for where you will be driving is in Asheville, NC. This past weekend the Asheville area was still experiencing some gas shortages and they are still experiencing extreme shortages in Charlotte, NC.

You should read this Asheville newspaper article with some more details about the status of the gas shortage in that area. Believe it or not, the average price of gas in the Asheville, NC area is $4.13 per gallon.

Overall, I don’t think you will have any problems. Each day things are improving a little bit in the worst areas.

Sandy — the worst areas to be aware of are in Knoxville (TN), Asheville (NC), and Columbia (SC). But, you should have no trouble finding gas all along the route and there is plenty of gas between those cities.

Each day things are improving in the worst hit areas so you may find that by the time you take your trip next week that everything is almost completely normal — the shortages should be over by then.

So it looks like we should be alright going from NC to Orlando along I-95 as long as we fill up before GA? We are leaving tomorrow and returning Wed. By the way there are a few stations here in the Durham area that are out of gas.

Brenda — You should be fine driving down the I-95 corridor to Florida. You should be able to find gas stations with fuel all along the route.

It might be worth looking at the USA gas “heat map” to see where the lowest gas prices are and be ready for the highest priced areas (try to avoid buy gas there by filling up before or after driving through the highest priced areas).

Jasmine — Yes, you should be fine along I-95 and even in Georgia you should be able to find gas stations open between the major metropolitan areas.

Thanks for the information about the Durham area. I think that is the result of other parts of NC running short and not having enough gas for all of the areas and not having enough to go around for all gas stations. That should get better in another week as the pipeline continues to increase capacity each day.

Mel — you should be fine down through Kentucky, but in the Nashville area you may find there is still a shortage of gas. Therefore, you should try to fill up before you get in that area and just drive on through. After that, you’ll be fine.

Earl — You may have some trouble on I-85 as you drive from New Orleans to Richmond, VA. That route takes you right through two trouble spots — Atlanta and Charlotte.

You will want to be sure and have plenty of gas as you approach those two cities because they are still experiencing gas shortages. Finding gas well before or after those cities should not be a problem, so just plan ahead.

Barb Miller — Your drive down I-75 will take you right into one of the worst areas of the gas shortage – Atlanta.

Be sure to have plenty of gas before you get anywhere near Atlanta. I’ve seen reports that they (Atlanta area residents) are still running out of gas as there supplies are not yet back up to normal levels.

Hi we are driving from Grand Island New york to Fort Benning Georgia to see my grandson graduate from Basic training there. When we will be taking I-75, I-85 and I185 driving through GA We are leaving here on October 13th. Should we expect problems?

I will be traveling from Flemington, NJ to Tampa/St. Pete areas in Florida on Oct 17th. Filling up the car before reaching the main cities, where the shortages are, would there be any problems? Also, Should I take the scenic corridors, I78 to I81 to I77 to I85 to I75 or the infamous I95 all the way down. These are all interstate highways.

70. Gary Doyle – October 4, 2008
Hi we are driving from Grand Island New york to Fort Benning Georgia to see my grandson graduate from Basic training there. We will be taking I-75, I-85 and I-185 driving through GA We are leaving here on October 13th. Should we expect problems

Chuck Stewart — As long as you follow the tactic of filling up the gas tank as you can between cities, you should have no trouble.

While the same is true whether you take I-95 straight down the coast (sort of the cost) or the more scenic route, you do want to remember that right now both Charlotte (NC) and Atlanta (GA) are experiencing shortages. In a week from now, thing may be different, but if you were traveling today/tomorrow I might be careful not to run low on gas as you approach those cities.

Nell — Driving a motor home to Florida? If you can avoid central Georgia (Atlanta) and central North Carolina (Charlotte), you should have no problem finding gas all along the route between Pennsylvania and Florida.

If you end up taking I-77 down to I-95 and follow that south, you just want to be sure to have plenty of gas as you approach the Charlotte area on I-77. Or, if your plans are to just take I-95 the whole way down, you won’t have any trouble.

We are traveling from Cincinnati to Atlanta down I-75. Will we have any problems getting gas along the way? We know that the big cities are having problems, are towns such as Cleveland, Tennessee also having shortages?

Kevin Maskell — You should be able to find gas all along I-75 from Michigan to Chattanooga. They have been experiencing some gas shortages in Knoxville and Chattanooga, so you should be sure to fill out before you reach those cities.

Harry, #9. The government isn’t bailing out AIG. They are taking out a loan from the government which they are paying back at fairly steep rates tied to the Libor index because most of their companies are viable. They are a huge company with many diverse companies, some of which they can sell to come up with cash. So we as taxpayers are not bailing them out, at least that I’m aware of. In addition, although I’m not sure if I know whether the other 700 bil bailout is a good idea, I’m not an economist and it sure seemed as if the world, not just the u.s. market was tanking and we were all seeing our 401K’s go down the drain due to most people’s 401k’s being heavily invested in stock. We all got greedy and believed the investment bankers when they said that stocks would ALWAYS turn around. Maybe not this time. It did appear as if something needed to be done. In the 700 bil bailout, I believe the government is trying to value the assets of the companies and so that also is supposed to not be a total giveaway.

On a different note, In Kansas, we still have gas. It’s about 3.00 a gallon in most places, cheaper in Missouri. Not sure why you all are suffering with the worst of it. Hang in there. I do empathize.

Paul Sventek — Driving on I-40 in Tennessee is mostly all right. The only areas where you might run into problems (some gas stations being sold out of gas) are around Nashville and Knoxville. But, even in those areas they are getting better supplies of gas delivered these days.

You didn’t mention it, but if you plan to drive over to North Carolina you might want to know that just over the mountains in Asheville they continue to experience some gas shortages.

Me and my mother are driving from north central illinois to southern florida..leaving Friday (10/10). We’re taking I75 through Chattanooga and Georgia. As long as we fill up before Atlanta should we be fine? Thanks.

I am needing to drive from the Dallas, TX area to Lynchburg, VA. My plan was to take I-30 to Little Rock, AR then take I-40 to Greensboro, NC..then take Highway 29 to Lynchburg. Does anyone see any trouble along that route as far as gas availability? Thanks!

Karen — Your greatest trouble, if you have any, will be along I-40 through Tennessee and in North Carolina. You should be okay as long as you fill up along the way, between the major cities (Nashville and Knoxville still have some trouble getting fuel for all gas stations).

Also, last week Asheville (NC) was still having a gas shortage. It may be better by now, but you should be aware that you might have some trouble around Asheville. Other than that, you really should not have any problems finding gas.

Melodie — You should not have any trouble finding gas driving through KY, TN, and NC next week. The only areas that have some trouble now are Nashville (TN), Knoxville (TN), Ashville (NC), and Charlotte (NC). But, from what I am hearing, even in those cities they are getting more gas delivered and running out less often.

I believe the worst areas for gas shortages right now (this week) are Charlotte (NC) and Atlanta (GA). Since you won’t be near either of those two cities, and each week things are improving, you should not have any problems finding gas.

Am leaving from Amarillo, Texas for Orlando Florida on Monday the 13th for a funeral. Am wondering what the gas situation is along the Interstate 10 route. and if it would be better to cross I-40, and then down to orlando.

Steve Sanborn — It would be best if you used I-10 to drive from Texas to Orlando (FL) as that route will have plenty of gas. Right now, there are some gas shortages along some parts of I-40. So, stay on Interstate 10 and you will be fine.

Ron White — Good news! The gas shortages that have been in several areas of the south are now over. I was recently in several of the states that had been experiencing gas shortages and there is now plenty of gasoline and all gas stations are getting regular supplies and no longer running out of gas.

So, you should have no trouble finding gas on your trip from Florida to Iowa.

I wish I could post a picture here for you but our prices in Southern California have gone so high that I just took a picture of my local “Mobile Gas Station” where regular gas just hit $6.00 a gallon! No joke – I was completely shocked. You can still find stations around for around $4.30 but is this stations prices what we are looking at now. Nobody even does anything anymore and considers to be lucky if we only pay the $4.30 now. SICK AND WRONG!